“We consume about 50 tonnes of frozen fish per year, for our dolphins, seals and pelicans, our penguins, so this comes from Holland and it will have to be paid cash in advance. Right now, we can’t do anything. Our account is blocked, we cannot get money out of the country. We are going to be out of stock in the next week.”

Anteater mealworms from Britain and frozen herring from the Netherlands are amongst the dwindling supplies.

Some foods can be replaced locally, but they would lack critical vitamins, additives and proteins.

“Whether it will be smooth depends on how big the lines are outside the ATM’s, it seems as though we are going to have limits on the amount that can be withdrawn and on the frequency with which those withdrawals could be made. So I think we would have to see this very much as a partial opening.”

As the queuing continues outside Greek cashpoints, many realise there are no quick fixes in sight.

(SOUNDBITE) (Greek) VASSILIKI, 68, SAYING:

“They are killing us. Of course, it’s not just me, everybody’s having it bad. Everybody. Of course, we (my generation) have been through poverty and such. I hope our children will have a better future in two or three years from now. What else is there to do?”

But the bank’s re-opening won’t help the zoo – capital controls are still expected to remain in place for weeks.